Respective complete cutting stations and methods are known in practice. They are widely used in packaging machines in which packaging units are produced from or with a plastic film, for example, in thermo-forming packaging machines or tray sealers. For reasons of efficiency, packaging units are frequently produced in multiple lanes and multiple rows, i.e., several packaging units are produced both in a row as well as side by side in one operation cycle. These packaging units are attached to each other in a film composite (i.e. in a common foil) because at least one film extends continuously across all packaging units and connects these packaging units to each other. In thermo-forming packaging machines, this is the lower film into which packaging trays are thermoformed. Both in thermo-forming packaging machines as well as in tray sealers, the packaging units are connected to each other by means of a top or lid film which is simultaneously sealed onto a plurality of packaging trays.
There are basically two different variants of how to separate such packaging units connected to each other in a film composite. In the first variant, a longitudinal cutting device and a transverse cutting device are provided one behind the other in the conveying direction i.e. apart from each other. The transverse cuts between adjacent rows of packaging are usually first applied, i.e. the film composite is severed between adjacent rows. Subsequently, the longitudinal cutting device separates the packaging units of the respective lanes.
In the second variant, to which also the present invention relates, packaging units are cut or punched out from the film composite in a single process step. This is done by means of a complete cutting tool.
It can be problematic in using a complete cutting tool in that the packaging units can lose their orientation after separation, such as when falling onto a discharge conveyor. This can make subsequent process steps for the packaging units difficult.